Cleis Press Collections Rookies and Active Duty Featured for Their Portrayal of Gay Love

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Gay erotic romance anthologies from Shane Allison and Neil Plakcy were examined as exemplars of same sex love in the military.

Active Duty by Neil Plakcy

"In addition to being well-written, most of the stories got to the heart of the matter of what it means to be openly gay in an hostile institution."

(PRWEB)August 13, 2014

HuffPost Books featured Cleis Press anthologies Rookies and Active Duty in a spotlight of fiction that highlights LGBTQ military romance. Reviewer Janet Mason said of Neil Plakcy's Active Duty, "In addition to being well-written, most of the stories got to the heart of the matter of what it means to be openly gay in an hostile institution." Similarly, she praised Shane Allison's Rookies as nuanced and complex: "The cops in this anthology have moral compasses, and they have fully developed characters."

In this fierce collection, Neil Plakcy shares heart-pounding stories of men who put their lives on the line for love and duty. The heat of battle only amps up the level of excitement for soldiers who know that any tryst might be their last. A breakup note sent to the front line opens doors to new love in Jay Starre’s “Letter from Home.” In Logan Zachary’s “Ready Reserve,” a summer fling between two buddies with benefits becomes something more. Dirk Strong’s “Marine Guard” follows an embassy officer sent to Italy for work who ends up enjoying a romantic Roman holiday.

More about Rookies, edited by Shane Allison:

Rookie cops are irresistible—a bit wet behind the ears and oh-so-eager. Fresh out of the academy, the young police officers of Rookies are ready to learn the ropes. Hot Cops editor Shane Allison has curated a captivating collection of men in uniform who like to lay down the law. These rookies know how to wield a nightstick and exactly how use their cuffs. Johnny Murdoc’s arresting story “Busted” begins with what looks like a trip to jail, but ends up in lover’s lane. A campus cop in Bearmuffin’s “Officer Jim” enjoys both protecting and serving the cute college boys, who give as good as they get. Eric Del Carlo’s “The Night I Blew the New Blue” gets up close and very personal. Rookies explores the sexier side of these masculine icons and working-class heroes, from U.S. marshals and patrol officers, to detectives and prison guards.